13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
1 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
level:
5
credit:
6
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: contribute
to planning of the critical incident stress intervention;
contribute to the establishment of an environment for
assisting participants to deal with their responses to critical
incident stress; contribute to the critical incident stress
intervention; and contribute to closure of the intervention.
This unit standard is primarily intended for a peer supporter
or a health professional such as a community worker,
counsellor, or social worker, who is working or intends to
work in a team situation within critical incident stress
management. It does not cover the competencies for a
social service worker to work alone, or to work with
individuals to assist them in dealing with a post traumatic
stress disorder.
entry information:
Open.
accreditation option:
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry and
teaching professional in the same field from another
provider.
moderation option:
A centrally established and directed national moderation
system has been set up by Community Support Services ITO
Limited (Careerforce).
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
2 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
special notes:
1
This unit standard may be assessed on the basis of
evidence of demonstrated performance in the
workplace or in simulated work situations designed to
draw upon similar performance to that required in work.
2
People awarded credit in this unit standard demonstrate
competence in debriefing and either demobilisation or
defusing. Evidence is therefore required in relation to
one debriefing and either a demobilisation or a
defusing, for all elements of this unit standard.
3
Glossary
Characteristics and needs of participants may be
physical, spiritual, or mental. Characteristics and needs
include: age and stage of development, culture, gender,
health status including any disabilities, language,
sexual orientation, and needs for physical comfort,
safety, and privacy.
Critical Incident Stress refers to severe stress which
causes an emotional or physical reaction to demands or
pressures which are sudden, unexpected, and due to a
specific incident or series of incidents.
The term culture has a specific meaning in this unit
standard. In this context, culture includes a culture
defined in terms of age, class, disabilities, gender,
sexual orientation, socio-economic situation, or
ethnicity, including identification with a culture through
birth, adoption, genealogy or whakapapa. Culture also
includes - the culture of the organisation within which
the participants are working if the critical incident stress
management is being carried out within that work place
setting; and the culture of the organisation where the
critical incident stress arose out of a workplace that is
common to the participants.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
3 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
Debriefing is defined as "a group meeting or discussion
about a distressing critical incident. Based upon core
principles of education and crisis intervention …
(debriefing) is designed to mitigate the impact of a
critical incident and to assist the personnel in
recovering as quickly as possible from the stress
associated with the event." (Mitchell & Everly, 1996, p8)
Defusing is defined as "a shortened version … (of
debriefing which) takes place immediately or relatively
soon after the critical incident is finished and typically
lasts less than one hour". (Mitchell & Everly, 1996,
p12)
Demobilisation generally refers to a process of assisting
large groups of rescue, or emergency response
workers to manage the pressures developed during a
major operation. It is often used in the aftermath of
disasters and would usually involve an on-the-spot
intervention with the group before they leave the scene.
The purpose of a general demobilisation is to facilitate
the smooth transition from an emergency response or
disaster scene to the normal home environment.
Governing legislation relevant to this unit standard is
defined according to the assessment context. This may
include the Civil Defence Act 1983, National Civil
Defence plan and local Civil Defence plan, Accident
Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Act 1992,
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.
Participants is used as a generic term to denote the
people who have experienced the critical incident.
Peer support is a formalised process in which a trained
supporter from the work group provides immediate
assistance to a colleague or workmate who has been
subjected to a stressful traumatic incident.
Trauma - a psychological trauma is an emotional state
of discomfort due to an extraordinary stressful event or
situation, which was overwhelming for the person
involved.
Worker refers to the person being assessed for credit in
this unit standard. The worker may be a peer supporter
or a health professional such as a community worker,
counsellor, or social worker.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
4 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
4
People awarded credit in this unit standard demonstrate
self care and positive functioning in groups, and are
able to relate to difference, as evidenced by
acknowledgement and respect for difference,
acceptance, genuineness, honesty, humility, patience,
and warmth. They use language that is appropriate to
the characteristics and needs of participants. They
seek to establish and maintain rapport with participants,
respond to criticism or negative feedback without
defensiveness, and act on changes required to
maintain rapport. They demonstrate and communicate
clarity about their role within all relationships with
participants. They know the limits of their role, function,
and competence, and when to refer on to others.
5
All communications are treated confidentially. The
scope and limits of confidentiality are defined through
negotiation and informed consent, and criteria
established by legislation, ethical practice, and service
provider guidelines. In the context of this unit standard,
sources of criteria established by legislation, ethical
practice, and service provider guidelines include but are
not limited to: Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act
1993, service provider codes of conduct, codes of
practice issued by the Privacy Commissioner, social
service codes of ethics, and service provider guidelines,
protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans, kawa or
tikanga.
6
In carrying out all elements of this unit standard, actions
are carried out according to service provider guidelines.
Service provider guidelines include but are not limited
to: service provider strategic plans; kawa or tikanga;
governing legislation; staff manuals; and service
provider protocols. The latter may include a Critical
Incident Stress Management (CISM) programme.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
5 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
7
References
Mitchell, J. T.; and Everly, G. S. Jr.; 1996. Critical
incident stress debriefing: An operations manual for the
prevention of traumatic stress in disaster workers.
Ellicott City, MD: Chevron Publishing.
Robinson, R. and Murdoch, P. 1996 (Nov). Position
statement and standards of practice for psychological
debriefing and defusing in emergency services.
Melbourne, Australia: Victorian Combined Emergency
Services Critical Incident Stress Advisory Committee.
Elements and Performance Criteria
element 1
Contribute to planning of the critical incident stress intervention.
Range:
evidence is required in relation to one debriefing and either a demobilisation or
a defusing.
performance criteria
1.1
The need for intervention is identified in terms of the nature of the incident and
experience of participants and their characteristics and needs.
1.2
Contributions to planning focus on the choice of type of critical incident stress
intervention that is required.
1.3
Contributions to planning focus on the timing of the intervention in accordance
with the chosen type of critical incident stress intervention, the operational
situation, and the circumstances of the participants.
Range:
1.4
demobilisation - immediately after participants have been released
from the critical incident and prior to return to normal duties;
defusing - within 8 hours of the incident;
debriefing - within 3 days of a single incident (in a prolonged
incident this timeframe may be extended).
Contributions to planning focus on essential elements of the identified critical
incident stress intervention.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
6 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
Range:
essential elements of the identified critical incident stress
intervention - purpose of the intervention, sequence of activities,
timeframe for completion of the intervention, role of the worker in
the intervention, methods for evaluating progress.
element 2
Contribute to the establishment of an environment for assisting participants to deal with
their responses to critical incident stress.
Range:
evidence is required in relation to one debriefing and either a demobilisation or
a defusing.
performance criteria
2.1
Contributions to establishment of the environment attend to the characteristics
and needs of participants as individuals and as a group.
2.2
Contributions to establishing the basis for the relationship with participants
clarify the worker's role, function, and any legal responsibilities.
2.3
Contributions to establishment of the protocols or kawa for the relationship with
participants are in accordance with the participants' characteristics and needs.
2.4
Contributions to working with participants focus on engagement of the
participants in the intervention according to their characteristics and needs, and
in accordance with the worker's role, function, and any legal responsibilities.
2.5
Interpersonal skills are used which maintain a purposeful relationship with
participants, respond to the situation and the concerns and needs of the
participants, respond to verbal and non-verbal communications, and contribute
to the identification of group objectives and tasks.
Range:
interpersonal skills - attending, clarifying, encouraging, following,
questioning, paraphrasing, reflecting.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
7 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
2.6
Group work skills contribute to identification and achievement of group task(s)
and maintenance.
Range:
2.7
Contributions to group formation address essential elements of group
management.
Range:
2.8
group work skills - identification and maintenance of group values,
maintenance of ground rules, leadership, conflict resolution,
negotiation, contributions to decision making processes, group
building and development, identification of and contributions to
group dynamics.
essential elements of group management - membership of and
commitment to the group; ground rules; kawa or protocols for each
group session and group relationships; leadership; methods and
procedures for dealing with conflict in the group.
Information sought or contributed is relevant to the objectives and tasks of the
group and individual participants.
element 3
Contribute to the critical incident stress intervention.
Range:
evidence is required in relation to one debriefing and either a demobilisation or
a defusing.
performance criteria
3.1
The worker's contributions are in accordance with her/his part in the plan for
contributing to the chosen type of critical incident stress intervention.
Range:
demobilisation - assess participants' well being, safety, and
security; provide information; provide opportunity for rest and food;
assess needs for debriefing or other services;
defusing - introduction, exploration, information phases;
debriefing - introduction, fact, thought, reaction, symptom,
teaching, and re-entry phases; or stages of alternative model.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
8 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
3.2
Where a demobilisation is the chosen type of critical incident stress intervention,
the worker's behaviours focus on mitigating the impact of a critical incident on
participants.
Range:
3.3
Where a defusing or debriefing is the chosen type of critical incident stress
intervention, the worker's behaviours focus on supporting the participants to
discuss and deal with their responses to the critical incident stress.
Range:
3.4
worker's behaviours - calm, self assured, thoughtful, warm, show
emotions, not overwhelmed by the circumstances of the critical
incident.
worker's behaviours - calm, self assured, thoughtful, warm, show
emotions, not overwhelmed by the circumstances of the critical
incident stress or traumatic incident(s).
The worker's contributions are in accordance with the time limits for the chosen
type of critical incident stress intervention.
Range:
demobilisation - 10 minutes for information, 20
opportunity for food and informal discussion;
defusing - 20-45 minutes duration for the intervention;
debriefing - 2-3 hours duration for the intervention.
minutes
3.5
The worker's contributions are in accordance with the pace and progress of the
group through the chosen type of critical incident stress intervention.
3.6
The worker's contributions are in accordance with communication with and
feedback from other members of the intervention team throughout the
intervention.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
9 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
element 4
Contribute to closure of the intervention.
Range:
evidence is required in relation to one debriefing and either a demobilisation or
a defusing.
performance criteria
4.1
Where demobilisation or defusing has been the chosen critical incident stress
intervention, contributions to closure focus on assessment of the need for a
debriefing according to identified needs and the outcomes of the intervention for
individual members of the group.
4.2
Contributions to closure focus on identifying any issues for further action
according to identified needs and the outcomes of the intervention for individual
members of the group.
Range:
further action - follow up assessment, on-going assistance,
individual referrals for therapy, individual referrals to other
agencies.
4.3
Closure is effected in terms of completion of the worker's planned role in the
intervention.
4.4
Reflection by the worker on her/his actions identifies that the worker
understands the role she/he played in the intervention.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
13096 version 3
28-Jun-16
10 of 10
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Contribute to a team approach to critical
incident stress intervention
Comments to:
Careerforce
PO Box 2637
Wellington 6140
Please Note:
Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority
before they can offer programmes of education and training
assessed against unit standards.
Accredited providers assessing against unit standards must
engage with the moderation system that applies to those unit
standards. [Please refer to relevant Plan ref: 0222]
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016